Non-riders don't get it.

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I had a pretty decent crash yesterday (came up short on a 70 foot table and bounced off the end...wasn't able to get it straight) and posted on facebook that I was sore from the wreck. That was followed by comments from friends and family that I'm not a youngster anymore and that I'm gonna kill myself doing this sport.

It got me thinking that people who don't ride simply do not understand why we do the things we do. They see flying through the air or woods or desert at considerable speed as an unnecessary risk and that we should stick to more pedestrian sports like curling and underwater basket weaving to prevent injury.

I think most of us see it this way: I could get hit by a truck crossing the street tomorrow or slip in the shower and break my neck. Every second of our lives is filled with risk. I refuse to give up something that I love to do so that I can die of natural causes having lived a long and dreadfully boring life.

People who don't ride don't seem to comprehend that to us, this isn't merely a hobby. Hell, with the amount of money we spend you might call it a maniacal obsession. But it's more like a lifestyle. It's the reason we want to be healthier. It's the reason we'll take extra hours for a little overtime pay during the week. It's the reason we spend hours milling over detailed service manuals learning the intricacies of our machines. It's the reason we cram 5 bikes into an S-10 and drive 100 miles. It's the reason we don't care about expensive clothes and cars. And it's the reason we have an instant kinship with anyone else who rides.

It's what we love. And if a bit of pain is the most we have to pay...then it's well worth the cost.

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You know, my grandpa started racing when he was 40. At age 60 he stopped racing modern because of the injuries, but promptly started racing vintage. He is 78 now and still enters at least one class while providing machinery for my 18 year old self to enter 3 classes and trials. We go vintage racing together a lot. At 78 he just can't stand to sit around. So he is always building bikes and racing a class.

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very true.. and well said. its not about riding its about doing what you love. Really who get up at 4 in the morning rides 2 hours to get to a track rides all day get a bike dirty as possible drives home gets it as clean as possible and then suffer the next 2 day with sore muscles.

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Very well said! I was just thinking along these lines today bc I just tore my ACL today in a very innocent looking get off. My whole family was like, "Are you done yet?" and i said "Hell no!" Its going to take some time to get over this injury, but I will not let it deter me from doing the one thing that I absolutely love! Besides once I can get around a little better I will be able to get my bike into top shape. But for now, im hurtin like hell!

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It's so true that you could get killed at any givin point in your life doing anything. I always find my self walking (riding in this case ) along a fine line. I won't do anything far beyond my skill level that could get me seriously injured, but I do push myself to hit that next big hill climb or give it a little more throttle off the jump. It's those adrenaline filled moments that keep me coming back for more. It's why I ride.

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I think most of us see it this way: I could get hit by a truck crossing the street tomorrow or slip in the shower and break my neck. Every second of our lives is filled with risk. I refuse to give up something that I love to do so that I can die of natural causes having lived a long and dreadfully boring life.

well put

It's the reason we don't care about expensive clothes and cars. .

haha I have 4 bikes and dress like a colorblind hobo. awesome post

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man thats more than right, im actually 13 (i didnt think minors could register here) but i was thinking motocross is something your born into it seems. some people love it and others just dont care. all motocross guys are like the same, were our own culture. we listen to the same music, use the same lingo, have the same ideas, ect... its something really freaky, but i like it. i guess thats one of the resons i like it. jumping and racing and working on your bikes, collecting scars, smashing our bones, it seems like it just dosent matter because it all gose to one lifestyle we love, and we do crazy shit for the things we love. and that is why i ride

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"I don't do it for my health man, I do it for the belt man, I do it 'til the death"

I love motocross because I am proficient at it, but I have so much room to improve. I love pushing myself and we all can agree there is no better arena to push yourself on than a motocross track. I love draging a bar in a loamy berm, I love the gnarly braking bumps on a sand track, I love the looks people give when they figure out they just got waxed by a heavy dude on a 250F. I love huge float away step downs that make you feel like you're in the air FOREVER and I love the burn I feel in the center of my chest on minute 17 of a 20 minute moto.

All these things keep me coming back. I'm 9 weeks into recovery for my broken leg and I can't wait to get started on next season.

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Yea i got into mx and dirtbikin in general not too long ago and its seriously like a disease. It has taken over my life and seriously has become more than just a hobby, it has become a lifestyle. I hear you though when people dont seem to understand why we ride. I have even had friends tell my they dont see the fun in it, that its easy and looks boring, let alone the others that say its just a stupid risk.

Less people on the track for me tho

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Injury is a part of many sports. What sets our sport appart from the rest is the feeling of what we do. No other regular sport gives you that "free" feeling that you loose sleep over when you have been out of the sport for a while.

A true rider will ride until they can phisicaly ride no longer. Over the years injurys start to stack up and the serious ones sit there in the back of your mind, but this can be a good thing. As you get older and start to have commitments like working to pay off the mortgage, kids or what ever, you can still get that feeling, although slightly dropping off the pace.

Im speaking as someone who once had a spinal injury (yes i can still walk) and it does spook you a bit. But im still riding against doctors/parents request becuase its what i do. Its who i am.

These days im happy to just get out there and have fun with my mates. I no longer have anything to prove or the need to take risks while riding. I think having a major injury gives you time to reflect on the important things, but it is never a time to stop riding. Heel up and come back a better and smarter rider.

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My 44 year old wife does a lot of ortho=spinal surgery work nowadays. She catches heck from surgical team for racing XC on weekends. Like she says it's not how long you live but the joy you get out of it.